Manifold apparatus



April 11, 1950 Filed Aug. 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR R. J!flraizsoiz ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 11, 1950 MANIFOLD APPARATUS Raymond J.Branson, Tulsa, Okla., aSsignor to McNamar Boiler & Tank Company, Inc.,Tulsa, Okla., a corporation of Oklahoma.

Application August 12, 1946, Serial No. 689,992

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a manifold, and more particularly, but not byway of limitation, to a manifold adapted for use with a storage tankhousing liquified petroleum gases.

In recent years, liquified petroleum gases have come into widespreaduse, particularly in rural communities where it is necessary to have acommercial fuel for the operation of farm equipment, home heating andlighting, and other necessary utilities, and where the source of othercommercial fuels such as natural gas or the like are not readilyavailable. In the use of liquified petroleum gases, it is necessary toprovide a storage tank which must be refilled from time to time.Liquified petroleum gases such as propane and butane and the like arehighly volatile and considerable difficulty is involved in filling thestorage tanks therefor to keep the liquid under compression away fromthe vapor line and the possibility of igniting, especially since thevolatile liquids expand very rapidly and if allowed to come incontactwith a vapor conduit leading to a stove or the like will igniteand create considerable danger.

The present invention contemplates a manifold for use with an apparatusfor filling a liquified petroleumgas storage tank in such a manner toassure safety during the filling operation and prevent the possibilityof igniting the volatile liquids by contact with the vapor line.

It is an important object of this invention to provide. a manifoldadapted for use in filling storage tanks with liquified petroleum gaseswherein the volatile liquid is permitted to flow into the tank intocontact with liquid and not the expanding vapors therefrom, therebypreventing spraying liquid into a hot tank and causing a rapid expansioninto vapors and consequent losses.

And still another object of this invention is to provide a manifoldutilized with an apparatus for filling a storage tank with liquifiedpetroleum gases wherein the liquid is introduced directly into the tankwithout any possibility of contacting expansion vapors of the compressedliquid.

And another noteworthy object of this invention is to provide a manifoldutilized in the filling of liquified petroleum gases in a filling tankwhich is so constructed and arranged to permit a flow from the storagetank back to a filling truck when the pressure in the tank is slightly,

greater than that in the truck during the'necessary replacement of partsand the like whereby the vapors are preserved by removing the liquidfrom the tank.

Qther objects and advantages of th e'invention will be evident from thefollowing detailed description, read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevational view taken on lines l! ofFigure 2 and having certain parts in elevation for clarity.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the invention.

Figure 3 is an elevational view partly in section taken on lines 3-3 ofFigure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character 2 designates amanifold head comprising a vertically elongated bodymember l having athreaded aperture 6 in the lower portion thereof receiving a threadednipple 8 in turn welded at Ill to a liquified petroleum gas storage tankl2. The upper portion of the manifold body 4 is provided with a threadedaperture l4 communicating with a chamber E6 in turn communicating with athreaded bore ll providing communication with a lower chamber l8 whichis in direct communication with the outlet aperture 6 and nipple 8. Acylindrical filling pipe 20 is secured in the threaded bore I l andextends therefrom into proximity with a lowermost portion of a tank, asclearly shown in Figure 1 in order to bafile chamber Hi from I8. Figure1 shows a fragmentary horizontal tank while Figure 3 shows a fragmentaryspherical tank. It will be obvious that the manifold structure may beutilized from any type of storage tank for housing liquified petroleumgases, and while the installation is preferably above the ground, itwill be understood that the tank can be located beneath the surface ofthe ground, which is sometimes desired.

The chamber [8 is formed by a pair of oppositely disposed projections 22and 24 extending outwardly from the elongated body member 4. The flangesor projections are provided with threaded outlet apertures 26 and 28. Avapor line control valve 30 is secured in aperture 2'6, while, a vaporreturn valve 32 is secured in the aperture 28 for purposes that will behereinafter set forth. A threaded aperture 34 is provided in the upperportion of each of the projections 22 and 24 and are adapted to receivepressure relief valves 38, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. Theinlet bore I4 is provided with a filler valve acting as a check valveagainst the back pressure of the volatile liquid during the filling ofthe tank l2. This valve is necessary to prevent an expansion of theliquid in the filling tube 20. A pressure gauge 42 is secured in athreaded aperture 43 of the member 4, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and3.

Referring to Figure 3 the body 4 is provided with an outwardlyprojecting member 45 disposed at right angles to members 22 and 24 andhas a threaded bore 44 adapted to receive a liquid discharge valve 46for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth. The valve 39 is providedwith a flanged nipple 48 providing communication between the chamber l8and' a vapor conduit line 50 extending into communication with apressure regulator 52 for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth.

Operation In operation the manifold Z throughvaIve 41' is adapted to beconnected =vrith-a -conduit fnot shown) of a filling truck containing'li'qui'fied petroleum gases, such as propane butaneior the like, sothat the Volatile liquids may be pumped into the storage tank l2. Itwill be apparent that the volatile liquids flow through the valve 40intothe chamber l6 .anddownward through the .filling cylinder .26 to bedischarged at a point inproximity of the lower portion of the tank [2.The point of discharge for the volatile liquids isimportant in thatitsallows .for a distortion or mixingsot the incoming liquids with theliquids already. in the tank. Under certain climatic conditions,particularly :the summer months,'it is often desired to reduce the:pressure of the liquified'petroleum gases due to the heat and providea'mixture .or blend'of butane and propane and the like.Foraexamplepropane may be added into astoragettank containing butane,and the discharge pointiofithe cylinder :28 causes a turbulence of theliquids ztogprovfde a. blend. Furthermore, the cylinder v.2!) bafiies:the inlet chamber [6 from the vapor chambers is .so that the volatile.liqui-d discharging :from the pipe 20 cannot in any manner contact theexpanding vapors rising from the compressed liquid in the tank [2 and'dischargingthrough thenipple fi'into'the chambers l8.

This 1 alsoihas an important-advantage; in that the filling liquiddischargesintot-he:tank l2 into liquid, and is prevented 'from'thepossibility of discharging through the chamber iii and vapor fuelconduit fitwhere it .could ignitezwith a utility heater or the likeandcause considerabledamage.

The expanding vapors discharge irom the chambers I'B'through the nipple'd8 and conduit 50, and ."hence through the pressure regulator fordetermining the amount of pressure 'o-f'the 'vapor'to bedischarged,..and'into' an outlet conduit 58 leading directly to anyappliancesuCh as gas heaters, stoves, hot water heaters, motors, or thelike,'for consumption.

In addition to the safety featurethe manifold '2 provides themember 45and discharge valve 46, which is manually operated and when 'rotated 'toopen position permits the removal of the volatile liquid from the tankl2 into chamber I6 to be discharged through-a conduit--58 directly to agasoline engine, motor, tractor-or other farm equipment. The dischargeof the volatile liquid from the tank 12 and through 'the conduit 58 isusually created by the compression of the liquid in the tank, howeverthis discharge may be done by gravity or 'a suction pump depending uponthe environment/of thetank. The valve 46 provides one means of removingthe liquid 'from the tank for auxiliary uses, however when itis-desiredto expediteremoval of the liquid from thetank incasetofemergency,

.such as tank leaks, or the like, thetop valve '40 can be utilizedwherein the liquid can be removed by a vacuum pump directly from thetank through cylinder 20 and valve 40.

Another additional feature of the manifold and valve arrangement is thatduring the filling operation the valve 32 is adapted to receive aconnecting conduit (not shown) from the truck whereby the iepressurebetween the filling truck (not shown) and the tank 12 may be equalizedin order to assure that the volatile liquid can "be pumped into the tank12 without any danger 10f burning out the pumping equipment for thetruck. It will be apparent that when the pres- :surebetween 'theltankand the truck is equalized the'volatileli'quids can be easily dischargedinto the tank l'2. The connecting conduit (not :shown):.is.usua1lyprovided with any conventional adapter (not shown) causing the valve 32to re- 'main in open position during the filling opera-" tion.

'From theforegoingit will be apparent thatthe present invention providesa -manifol'd apparatus wherein highly volatile liquified petroleum gasescan be filled intoastoragetarikwithout any's'ub- -stant-ial danger of"the volatile liquid "discharging-into the-vaponfuelconsumption line.Fur- 'thermore, the construction'of the manifold apparatus issuch tofillastorage 'tank whereinthe volati-leliquid is discharged in the tankdirectly into a "liquid thereby preventing the spraying of theliquidonto'the innerwalls of the tank "Which-are usually hot from therays of the sun. This liquid to liquid-contact prevents --a rapid'expansionof the vapors from the volatile liquids and *thereby prev-entsconsiderable loss of the vapor fuel. Furthermore, the liquidtoliquid'fllling arrangement particularly in the -lowermo'st 'portionofthe tank provides for a normalxbl'ending of variable liquified petroleumgases whenw'desired. In addition the manifold apparatus pro- -vides foran-auxiliary outlet'forthevolatile liquid when it is desired to: use"the liqui'fie d petroleum "gases a=fuel directlyponsumed byfi'theconventional farm equipment, such as tractors, gasoline enginesand otherequipment. :Furthermore,

- tank, a valve controlled" conduit connecting :with

one of said horizontally 'dispo'seid chambers zan'd permittingdischargeofisaidavapors for fuelsconsumption, elongated =means extending"into ;the Y tank and communicating: withzt-heaxialrchamber andpreventing contact of the'liquefie'dgasesavith the: vapor chambers,means communicating with one of-thevapor'cham -bers to permitequalization of the pressure of the tank-during the filling operation,and means communicating *With the axial I chamber permittingdischarge ofliquefied gas therefrom.

'2. .In amanifold-apparatus .for, filling az'storage tank adapted tohouseiliquefiedtpetroleum gases, 'and;comprising an elongatedbodyhaving. an axially disposedchamber" for; passage :of incomingliquefied'gasestd the tank, means 7 providing communication between theaxial chamber "and the tank, horizontally disposed chambers receivingthe expansion vapors of the liquefied gases in the tank, a valvecontrolled conduit connecting with one of said horizontally disposedchambers and permitting discharge of said vapors for fuel consumption,valve means disposed in at least one of said horizontal chambers topermit equalization of the fluid pressure in the tank during the fillingoperation, and an auxiliary valve means communicating with the axialchamber providing discharge of volatile liquid from the tank.

3. In a system for filling volatile liquids comprising a storage tank, afilling manifold cooperating therewith and comprising an inlet chamber,a plurality of vapor chambers disposed perpendicular tothe inlet chamberand in communication with the" tank, a cylindrical baflle providingcommunication between the inlet chamber and the tank and simultaneouslyprecluding communication between the inlet cham- '0 her and the vaporchambers, a vapor fuel outlet RAYMOND J. BRANSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 523,872 Stahl July 31, 1894977,261 Berstein Nov. 29, 1910 1,572,727 Kerr Feb. 9, 1926 2,307,309Thomas Jan. 5, 1943 2,361,865 Norway Oct. 31, 1944

